ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is not to provide information on the most common Southeast Asian fruit trees but rather to bring some light to some less known medicinal species. One can estimate that there are about 250 species of fruit trees in Southeast Asia, a number of which are medicinal and completely unstudied for pharmacology. The trees mentioned here are wild, cultivated in villages, or, in some instances, cultivated on a large scale. These species are potentially valuable as genetic resources, as new commercial products, or as sources of more proactive hybrids; they could hold some potential as sources of drugs. Therefore, the study of the medicinal trees of Southeast Asia is an important aspect of plant research, and the plants listed in this chapter should be considered as serious candidates for further research development. For each species listed, the reader is provided with Latin names, synonyms (if any), local names, main botanical features, and pharmacological and chemical status.
